The current works being undertaken around Romsey by Network Rail (Greatbridge Road), Southern Water (Cupernham Lane) and the developers of the Abbotswood House site on Braishfield Road have resulted in quite a number of questions about why and how Hampshire County Council allow utility companies, other public bodies and development companies to work on the roads.
So, I hope it's helpful to share this Q&A which helps explain the process for granting permission and what control Highways have over these type of roadworks:
๐: ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฐ๐๐ฒ'๐ฌ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐?
A: The Highways team is responsible for the coordination of all works and events on the public highway in order to minimise traffic disruption. The Streetworks team also monitors utility Coโs activities on the public highway and checks active work sites and reinstatements for compliance with National specifications.
๐: ๐๐๐ง ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฐ๐๐ฒ?
A: Yes, they have legal duties and rights to install and maintain apparatus on the public highway. However, they have to comply with National Specifications and obtain a permit from the County Council for planned works.
Legislation gives them legal rights to install cabinets and masts (up to 15m high) on the public highway without planning permission.
๐: ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฐ๐๐ฒ?
A: No, except under very specific circumstances, for example: where a utility company wants to install new apparatus on a highly important and strategic road that has been specifically designated, by law, as a protected street.
๐: ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฐ๐๐ฒ?
A: The County Council can place conditions on any permit application. Conditions are used to try to minimise traffic disruption. The conditions available as part of the permit scheme are not โfree formโ and are restricted to controls over works timing, works area, traffic management type and stakeholder engagement. Conditions have to be reasonable and be able to be met by the works promoter.
๐: ๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ (๐๐) ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐?
A: The works promoter is entirely responsible for selecting the most appropriate type of TM. They are the experts in the works they are undertaking and what the risks are. In selecting the TM type they must consider the risks to the workforce, passing traffic (including pedestrians) and relevant legislation and Codes or Practice.
๐: ๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐?
A: The works promoter is entirely responsible for selecting an appropriate diversion route. Best practice is to ensure that the diversion route uses similar roads to those closed. Unfortunately, the existing networks donโt always permit this. Diversion routes are not enforceable.
๐: ๐๐ก๐จ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ?
A: The works promoter is ALWAYS responsible for the information they supply. The County Council must assume that it is correct when assessing the permit and determining what conditions to apply.
๐: ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ/๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง?
A: No, the permit relates ONLY to the works and its impact on traffic. Approval for installing apparatus is given either by a utility companyโs legal rights or via the local Planning Authority.
๐: ๐โ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐๐. ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐?
A: Yes, utility companies are allowed to use a temporary reinstatement in order to re-open a road quickly or to give them time to source specialist materials. Normally temporary reinstatements are allowed for up to 6 months, the utility company has to reinstate the original surface within that time.
๐: ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ?
A: Legislation states that a utility company is liable for any โreasonableโ repairs for two years.
๐: ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ?
A: Legislation requires all works promoters to submit permit applications between 3 working days and 3 months ahead of works starting.
For 'Immediate works' (relating to safety or loss of service) there is no advance warning. Works are started and the County Council is alerted within 2 working hours.
๐: ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ง๐จ๐ง-๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐?
A: Yes. There are a range of penalties open to the County Council where works promoters do not comply with permit conditions.
๐: ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐จ ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ?
A: Very well. In 2022 Over 95% of site signage and 96% of reinstatements complied with the National specifications. 97% of utility sites comply with permit conditions. 99% of utility sites were completed on time, or early.
๐: ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ?
A: The County Council handles all permits via a National IT system. This system automatically publishes all permits on the https://one.network website
๐: ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒโ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค?
A: In the 2021/2022 financial year we processed 52,000 permit applications/changes from utility companies which resulted in 36,000 works being undertaken.
